I agree. Another thing that's often mentioned and more often overlooked is the fact that he's really young. I think he's still younger than Duncan was his rookie year.
Ian has a lot of upside. My hope is that he gets healthy so he can get some good run this upcoming season.
I agree. Another thing that's often mentioned and more often overlooked is the fact that he's really young. I think he's still younger than Duncan was his rookie year.
Exactly.
POPS has proven he can rebound, clean up down low, and provide energy at the NBA level.
what has mahinmi done so far?
whats even worse is here we have Chumper saying that Mahinmi is not as good as POPS at rebounding or blocking shots, ironically the 2 things we need most.
Not counting the posters who possibly joined ST only to sing his praises, I don't think one person thought of him that way here. It's just the anti-Pops posters thought they'd get clever and call him Kunta-Kinte like it was actually funny, and not pathetic, who overreacted to everyone overreacting when Mensah showed off his incredible athleticism. And how could you blame us, we haven't seen dunks of that caliber by a young big in years, and instead watching Bonner, Horry, Fab, KT, and Tim play their style.
For future reference MB, don't think of poop when you try to generalize ST.
Damn beat me to it.![]()
Eh, Pops has only really shown he can rebound in the NBA given regular minutes. I'm content to see what Ian can do.
Did anyone follow him when he played on the Raptors? Cuz IIRC his FG% with them was under 40%.
Your posts sometimes start off strong, and then just devolve back into the idiocy that is the rest of your posts. You're really close to becoming a valuable poster here if you can drop some of the pointless judgmental hate.
Yeah, it didn't break my heart to see Pops go, but the excitement he generated is more a sign of how desperate the Spurs' needs at that position have gotten. I'm optimistic Ian can avoid catching a bad break next season and actually show what he's got.
The thing that bothers me about Mahinmi is how comfortable he seems to be with what has happened the past 4 years -- since he was the Spurs' first round pick.
He doesn't seem frustrated that he hasn't had the chance to prove himself or compete in big games in all these years. He doesn't appear angry at his injury-plagued fate.
I see him behind the bench in street clothes and he seems completely contented, like life couldn't be better. It's as if he's thinking to himself, "Wow, who would've thought baskeball could take me this far. I get to travel, see the world, and I'm well paid to boot. Gosh, I wonder where I'll be next year. I guess my agent will let me know."
I know this is subjective and certainly subject to criticism, but he just seems to lack that compe ive fire. Like he thinks basketball is great career and who woulda thunk it. I don't see any hunger or drive there and, if so, I really doubt he'll be with the Spurs for the long haul.
Okay, let me have it for my presumptuous and speculative observations.![]()
you. It's bad enough you idiots think he's even a NBA player.
At this point I'll be excited if Mahinmi can make it to training camp uninjured.
+1, but minus the alive in the playoffs stuff.
News flash, dumb : He IS an NBA player.
I'd say he's borderline. Great energy off the bench and excellent rebounding per 40, but he's nowhere near a competent offensive player, nor is his defense up to par. A statistical impact on a bad team also doesn't say very much.
LOL give me a ing break, is he any less of an 'nba player' than half our ing roster this year?
by the end of next season, if healthy, Ian will already be the team's 2nd best big behind Duncan
possibly 3rd if Gooden stays
the bad news are, that any mystery story will come to an end at some point.
and then most of the posters, who still believe Ian is kind of a diamond in the rough, will wake up.
the best case for Ian will be the role of a 4th man in the big rotation, but I do have my doubts he will even get there. what most of his remaining fans constantly ignore is to ask if he is a player at all.
This is why he should not play in the summer league. Start off in camp and work the rust off from there. If he gets injured again let it be against real NBA talent.
Pops can be a Brandon Bass-type player if he was given a good run. Mavericks fans who saw him play for their team even say this.
The only thing we really know about Ian is that he had an ability to dunk the out of the ball when noone was around him at age 18, he hasn't translated his leaping ability to shotblocking in the D-league, and he is still very raw and unpolished offensively.
An interview of Ian made two days ago:
http://www.basketnews.net/asp.net/ma...s.aspx?id=2960
How are you?
I'm fine. My ankle goes very well, it is almost at 100%. There is just two or three little things like, as example, the morning when I wake up. It's still a little uncomfortable sometimes but, except that, all is fine.
And you are now in France?
It goes well. We've just arrived with Tony and we have looked at a practice. We are in France so we see friends. I've a lot of Friends in L'ASVEL and Nancy. We will see a good basketball game, it will be fun. Then, I will go back to San Antonio to work. I will first enjoy these couple of days with Tony.
Your program of the summer?
First, I will play the summer league in Las Vegas. After that, I will practice with the team in San Antonio and be ready for the next season. I sure hope to play.
No loan to L'ASVEL then?
No, no.
How did you live this last season without playing?
It was psychologically difficult because I came from a good season in NBDL, and a good summer after it. The staff, the coach and me have high expectation for me but I broke my ankle. It was very very difficult mentally, but it happens to everyone. Hopefully, there were my family and my friends. They were always behind me. There was the operation, the rehabilitation and now, that I'm ready to get my game back, it's a pleasure. I will try to find back my level of play and help Spurs next year.
Do you still have the feeling to improve yourself ?
In the life, there are a lot fof ways to improve yourself. Life isn't only limited to basketball. I've improved as a man, mentally-wise and I'm still working with the coaches on my moves and on my body. Even if I wasn't able to play, I think to have improve myself in other areas. You better had to take the silver lining of every situation.
Ian is a likable guy. I really hope he does well, because he has a lot of people rooting for him. It would be nice to see a young, hungry and enthusiastic big on the roster next to Tim. It could really breathe some new life into the franchise.
thnaks Bruno nice interview, I hope he will be a good young athletic big for the spurs next year
Well Russ, guess your thought of him not being frusterated or content to sit is out the window.
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